SNAKES ALIVE: Overgrown properties have neighbours furious

RESIDENTS in Mt Pleasant are fed up with the overgrown state of a nearby cane field, which they say has led to an infestation of eastern brown snakes and other vermin in their homes.

One home owner, Judith Benson, claims the property, at the end of Ross and Lachlan streets, hasn't been tended to in years and has brought a variety of venomous snakes and rodents into the area.

"We bought here over seven years ago and those cane paddocks, which have all been rezoned as residential land, have never been cleaned out, it should have been cleared or properly maintained to stop the vermin and fire risk," she said.

"I have spent copious amounts of money constantly rat baiting the area, and I just had to spend over $1500 on my dog that was bitten by an eastern brown on the patio of my house.

"My dog almost died in front of my children's eyes, lucky it bit the dog and not them.

"We've seen at least seven juveniles (snakes) in the pool in the last two years and we're not even one of the closer homes being affected; they're obviously breeding somewhere."

According to Ms Benson, countless neighbours in the area have made complaints to Mackay Regional Council, only to get responses saying the issue was out of their hands or the issue of another department.

"There are plenty of people that have tried to call Council, or written in about unkept properties, they said it wasn't their responsibility and to call the Department of Mines and Agriculture," she said.

"They told me because I said it was standover cane it wasn't their issue but they didn't even ask where it was located," she said.

"Many hours and conversations later I was finally informed that the property in question was, in fact, zoned residential and therefore the responsibility of local council."

When contacted by the Daily Mercury, the owner of the property said the area had been maintained to a higher standard than surrounding council-owned land, which would more likely have caused the pest issue.

"I normally go and cut it where the houses are to keep the grass down and there's a big wide break all the way around, it's standover cane and has been mowed but probably not slashed in the last four years," he said.

"Along the railway line corridor for the ring road, council just mows a break along the back but they don't cut the main big piece of land, which goes all the way along.

"You don't normally burn the cane, but I have a wide break from there. The biggest stuff is to the back of the houses. Where council mows isn't even as wide as that and theirs is much taller."

"I've been flat out, as soon as I have a chance I well get in and try to get mowing in that area but there is bushland and other huge sites nearby that haven't been tended to in years, much longer than since when we have."

Mackay Regional Council health and regulatory services manager Craig Shepherd said the council had responded to all community complaints about possible overgrown properties and worked with landowners to ensure they complied with local laws.

"Council has jurisdiction over privately-owned sites in relation to local laws, including overgrown allotments," he said.

"For smaller residential lots, the entire site needs to be maintained and not overgrown for larger properties, however, only a five to 10-metre fire break is required around the boundaries.

"Council has received no overgrown allotment requests in relation to rail corridor land near Mackay-Bucasia Road...our Civil Operations and Parks departments look after the maintenance of council-owned land and carry out a regular maintenance program."